What it means
یکرنگ (yek-rang) joins the pure Persian numeral یک (yek), meaning one, with رنگ (rang), meaning colour. In its literal sense it describes something of a single, uniform colour: a monochrome fabric, a plain painted wall, a solid-colour design. In its idiomatic and culturally important sense it describes a person who is consistent, transparent, and sincere, someone who shows the same face in all circumstances and does not change character to suit the audience. The opposite is دورنگ (do-rang), literally two-coloured, meaning two-faced or hypocritical. This contrast between one-coloured sincerity and two-coloured deceit is deeply embedded in Persian ethical vocabulary.
How to use it
- لباس یکرنگ برای مصاحبه مناسبتره. (Lebâs-e yek-rang barâye mosâhebe monâseb-tare.) “A solid-colour outfit is more appropriate for an interview.”
- اون آدم یکرنگیه، هر جا باشه همینه. (Un âdam yek-rangiye, har jâ bâshe hamine.) “That person is sincere, the same wherever they are.”
- دیوارها رو یکرنگ رنگ کردیم. (Divârhâ ro yek-rang rang kardim.) “We painted the walls a single colour.”
- دوست یکرنگ پیدا کردن سخته. (Dust-e yek-rang peyda kardan sakhte.) “Finding a sincere friend is difficult.”
Cultural note
The moral weight of یکرنگ in Persian culture comes from a long tradition of valuing authenticity and consistency of character, particularly in the context of friendship and loyalty. Classical poets and moralists contrasted the یکرنگ person with the دورنگ or چندرنگ individual, whose shifting behaviour was compared to a chameleon or to cloth that changes colour in different light. Sa’di’s Golestan and Bustan both celebrate یکرنگی as a virtue in companions and rulers alike. In contemporary Persian, the word is used freely in both its literal and idiomatic senses without any register shift.